What To Expect From Apple’s Refreshed Mac Lineup

Apple’s big fall event has come and gone, and while there were plenty of big announcements, the Mac line was very obviously absent.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that we won’t see a new lineup of Macs at all — in fact, Apple is expected to make some pretty serious changes to certain Mac models this year, which will reportedly get refreshed at some point in October. Here’s everything we expect to see from the Mac lineup this year.

iMac

The iMac is one of Apple’s most popular computers, but it’s not expected that the computer will get a major refresh this year. It will, however, get a few great spec upgrades. According to a report from Bloomberg, the computer will be sold with an option for a new graphics card from AMD, at least in the higher-end iMac models. In the lower-end models, the computer will use graphics chips integrated with Intel’s processors.

It’s also likely that Apple will incorporate Intel’s latest Kaby Lake processors for the new computer, especially considering the fact that the announcement of the new chips was a few months ago — with well enough time for Apple to start using the processors.

Apart from that, there’s little else to expect from the refreshed iMac line.

MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro is expected to seriously be the star of the show should there be a Mac refresh event. The computer hasn’t seen a major redesign since 2012, and this year is expected to be different.

Perhaps the biggest change to grace the new MacBook Pro is that some expect Apple to do away with the row of function keys in favor of an OLED display, which will be used for function buttons. There are a few reasons that this is beneficial. First of all, it means that the function keys will be able to change depending on what app you have open, potentially adding an extra layer of usability to the apps on macOS.

On top of the replacement of the function keys, the computer will also reportedly get a refresh in terms of specs — they’ll get the new Intel Skylake processors, new graphics cards, and a few upgrades in terms of ports. Expect at least a few USB-C ports in the new computers!

Mac Mini

Ah the Mac Mini. The Mac Mini may get the most significant refresh it’s ever gotten…in a sense. Rumors indicate that Apple may end up killing off the line, largely because it’s just not a popular computer. Plenty of people don’t even know the computer exists.

Still, if the computer isn’t totally killed off, it could get a few new features. It’s unlikely the form factor of the computer will change much, but it could still get an updated processor and graphics card.

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is also rumored to be headed to the graveyard. Why? Because the MacBook Pro has gotten thinner and thinner, removing the need for an ultra-thin computer, and the standard MacBook removes the need for a computer for web-surfing and email reading.

Still, the MacBook Air could get a few new features, including Intel’s Skylake processors. One rumor even suggests that the computer will be made available in a 15-inch version, which would be huge for such a thin computer. Yet another rumors suggests that the Air will get the same OLED display replacing the function keys as the MacBook Pro.

Mac Pro

The Mac Pro is Apple’s most powerful Mac offering, and is built largely for multimedia professionals. While some rumors hint that Apple may eventually discontinue the computer, most suggest that Apple will upgrade it with new processors. Not much else is expected from the computer.

Conclusions

Apple may end up holding a dedicated Mac refresh event, and if it does we’ll see some great new computers. If not, perhaps we’ll log on to Apple.com and suddenly see a slew of new Macs. Either way, there’s a lot to look forward to when it comes to the Mac lineup.

About The Author

Christian de Looper was born and raised in Canberra, Australia, and has been living in the U.S. since 2012. Christian has also been writing about tech since 2012, starting out writing about wearable tech and Android phones, and then expanding to all areas of consumer tech. When he’s not writing about the latest gadgets, Christian spends his time as a freelance music producer and recording engineer in L.A., and works across all genres of music.